Ever thought of packing chinese soup to the office for lunch?
It is cheaper, more nutritious and whatever goes into the soup is totally under your control.
When I was living in Melbourne, I noticed many people eating packed lunches outdoors. It could be the grass in front of the State Library of Victoria or a bench in the park. I also noticed that most of them have sandwiches. Not that I dislike sandwiches, but I prefer my lunch a little soupier (erm, is this a word?) and HOT.
Conventional lunch boxes are just not suitable for packing hot soupy lunches. The ideal lunch box must be leakproof and easy to carry around. It should also keep the soup hot for several hours. Fortunately, I am not the first person to think about this.
The chinese lunch box has a long history in China. And in Southeast Asia, we have the tingkat.
Tingkat
This is a tiered chinese lunchbox that can pack several food items including soups. Each container can have 3 to 4 stackable trays which can be stacked on top of one another. Each tray can be used as a serving bowl when it is time to eat. The top cover has a handle and a pair of clips to hold the trays tightly together.
The tingkat is great for packing different dishes and even some soupy ones but food might grow cold especially during the cold seasons. This can be circumvented if it is kept underwrap.
If you are thinking of buying a tingkat, I highly recommend the To-Go Ware 3-Tier Container. It is made of stainless steel with an extra condiment tub for dips and dressings. Pack a picnic in it and keep food separated neatly. Easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
Vacuum pot
Most tingkats are made of stainless steel or enamel.This mean that the packed food will lose its heat fairly quickly although they can be heated up directly over heat. May not be so great for winter.
A modern variation was developed when the thermal pot was invented. This is commonly known as a vacuum pot in Singapore. It is also known as the insulated lunch box. This is essentially a vacuum pot which can fit 2 to 3 trays inside. When the cover is screwed on, it keeps the food in the trays hot. I used to pack soups in one tray and white rice in the other tray.
There are of course insulated lunch boxes that are much better designed. One of them is the Zojirushi Classic Stainless Lunch Jar.
Zojirushi is a very trusted brand in Singapore. They manufacture some of the best kitchen appliances and accessories. Their designs and colours are timeless.
Vacuum flasks
Sometimes the insulated lunch box is too big because I only wanted to pack the soup. So, it has its limitations.
Vacuum flasks come in various sizes. 0.5 liter, 0.75 liter, 1 liter and so on. They are just nice to pack a big bowl of soup. Chunkier ingredients can be cut into smaller pieces to fit into the flasks.
Selecting a good quality vacuum flask is important. Nothing irks more than leaky flasks and lukewarm soups. A good flask should be able to keep your soup hot for at least 5 hours. The ones from Japan such as Tiger and Zojirushi are really good. They are esthetically pleasing and functional. Many come with nice carrier bags. But they are quite expensive.
A close second is Thermos. A friend swears by their Thermos Steel Bottle. She said they are sturdy and can keep her drinks hot for up to 7-8 hours.
Happiness is having your favourite soups
WHEREVER you want!
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